US TV producer fired for Tom Brady insult

A TV producer in Pittsburgh has been fired for labelling New England quarter-back Tom Brady a “known cheater” during a news broadcast.

Mike Telek, 27, told US media that the stunt, in which the words appeared at the bottom of the screen, was just meant as “a little wink for fans”.

“The graphic that appeared Monday violated our news standards,” KDKA-TV said in statement about the firing.

A charity to help the jobless producer has raised over $1,000 (£760).

The New England Patriots will face off against the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday’s Super Bowl championship in Atlanta.

The game will be Brady’s ninth Super Bowl appearance.

The “Known Cheater” label stems from the 2015 controversy that came to be known as “Deflategate”, in which the New England Patriots were accused of secretly deflating footballs to win a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts.